Today's networks are becoming very vulnerable to privacy issues and security. Mobile phones that continuously change cells connect to several networks at one time. Also, mobile phones nowadays contain many assets and private information, such as the current position of its owner and his historical locations. In this complex climate the user has no indication of the “security status” of the phone he uses, while he is well aware, for instance of the transmission level. For example, if the RF reception level is low, the user knows it thanks to a simple meter indication shown on the screen. Therefore, the user understands the quality of the line, and with a low reception level will try to improve reception by moving to a different location. Yet, when it comes to security, the user has no perception of the current security level of the phone.
Mobile phones are much more mobile than laptops and therefore their security level may change rapidly. While some solutions have been provided, e.g., for Microsoft Windows users, to alert of security risks, for instance, when browsing the web, there are no known solutions to the problem described for mobile. The art has provided firewalls and anti-viruses, and even encrypted storage for mobile, but none provide feedback for the user with respect to phone call security. For instance, a mobile phone user does not know how an unknown GSM cell affects the security of the call, or how a downloaded application having “CALL” or “RECORD” permissions affects the security of the call.
All the problems detailed above, as well as the solutions provided hereinafter, are applicable to cellular telephony as well as to web-based telephony calls done over data lines (e.g., VOIP, such as Google voice or Skype).